Laundry detergent compositions containing a perborate and a peroxymonopersulfate

ABSTRACT

SOLID LAUNDRY DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS CONTAINING AN ANIONIC OR NON-IONIC DETERGENT; AN ALKALINE BUILDER, PREFERABLY A PHOSPHATE SUCH AS SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE OR TETRASODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE; AND 1.5 TO 30 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A MIXTURE OF SODIUM PERBORATE AND A WATER-SOLUBLE PEROXYMONOSULFATE, IN WHICH MIXTURE THE WEIGHT RATIO OF PEROXYMONOSULFATE ACTIVE OXYGEN:PERBORATE ACTIVE OXYGEN IS FROM 1:8 TO 1:1.

Unite States Paten 3,558,497 LAUNDRY DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS CON- TAININGA PERIBORATE AND A PEROXY- MONOPERSULFATE Bernard C. Lawes, Wilmington,DeL, assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del.,a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Filed Aug. 3, 1967, Ser. No.658,287 Int. Cl. Clld 3/65; D06] 3/00 U.S. Cl. 252-99 8 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE Solid laundry detergent compositions containing ananionic or non-ionic detergent; an alkaline builder, preferably aphosphate such as sodium tripolyphosphate or tetrasodium pyrophosphate;and 1.5 to 30 weight percent of a mixture of sodium perborate and awater-soluble peroxymonosulfate, in which mixture the weight ratio ofperoxymonosulfate active oxygenzperborate active oxygen is from 1:8 to1:1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has long been known to include sodiumperborate in solid home laundry detergent compositions to impart somebleaching properties to the composition. The amount of sodium perborateused is generally rather small since its intended function is not toremove heavy stains in a single wash, but rather to provide justsufiicient bleaching in each wash to prevent or retard the buildup ofcolored impurities which, in the absence of a bleaching agent, tend toaccumulate on the fabric during many washings. The loss of whiteness dueto the accumulation of such impurities may not be noticeable over one ortwo washings, but over the life of the fabric an initially white fabricoften acquires a gray or yellowish cast. Most detergent products containoptical brighteners which tend to cover up these colored impurities, buteventually the level of impurities becomes sufiicient so that a visiblyless White fabric results. By having present a small amount of sodiumperborate in the detergent composition, enough bleaching is provided ineach wash to prevent or greatly retard the build-up of coloredimpurities so that substantially the original whiteness may be retainedover many washings. The presence of sodium perborate also is beneficialin assisting to maintain the original shade of color in the fabrics.

Any bleaching agent incorporated into a laundry detergent compositionmust be one which will not damage the fabric or its colors and it mustbe compatible with the usual Optical brighteners whose presence in suchcompositions is generally desirable. Various types of bleaching agentshave been proposed, but only those which are peroxygen compounds andcontain active oxygen satisfy these requirements. Other bleachingcompounds, particularly those containing active chlorine, tend todegrade many fabrics and react with some to cause yellowing. The mostpreferred peroxygen compounds proposed for use in detergent compositionsare the sodium perborates and the water-soluble peroxymonosulfates,particularly potassium peroxymonosulfate in the form of its triple saltwith potassium bisulfate and potassium sulfate.

Although most home laundry washing is done at 120- 130 F., it would bepreferable to have a detergent bleach product that would be effectiveover a Wider temperature range, e.g., from room temperature to 160 F. orhigher. The above mentioned potassium peroxymonosulfate triple saltproduct costs about twice as much as sodium perborate tetrahydrate andhas only about half the active oxygen content of the latter.Nevertheless. based on bleaching ice performance at equal cost, bothagents give somewhat similar bleaching results although the triple saltproduct gives substantially superior results at temperatures below aboutF. to those obtained with sodium perborate. At temperatures above 160F., the perborate is equal to or superior to the triple salt product inperformance at an equal cost basis.

Commercially available peroxygen products comprising peroxymonosulfates,particularly the potassium peroxymonosulfate triple salt, are usuallyhighly acidic and react with the alkaline builders commonly employed indetergent compositions and therefore interfere with efficientdetergency. Acidic additives would neutralize part of the alkalinebuilders. This is a distinct disadvantage characteristic of suchperoxymonosulfate products. A distinct disadvantage of perboratebleaching agents is that their effectiveness is markedly lowered as thewashing temperature is lowered. Many proposals have been made involvingthe use of sodium perborate in conjunction with so called promotersWhose function is to promote the bleaching activity of the perborate,particularly at the relatively low temperatures used in home laundryoperations where automatic washers are employed. Such promoters arequite expensive. Insofar as is known to applicant, no simple inexpensiveand practically effective method has been heretofore proposed forimproving the bleaching activity resulting from the use of either of theabove type peroxygen compounds.

Obviously, it would be highly desirable to have available for fabriclaundering uses, particularly in home laundering operations employingautomatic washers, detergent compositions which include a bleachingcomponent which would provide more effective bleaching than presentlyused perborate/detergent compositions provide and over a relatively widerange of temperatures, including room temperatures, and which wouldminimize the amount of acidic materials added to the detergentcomposition. The present invention provides such detergent compositions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention of this application providesimproved solid laundry detergent compositions comprising an an ionic ora non-ionic detergent, preferably the former, an alkaline builder,preferably of the sodium tripolyphosphate and/0r tetrasodiumpyrophosphate type; and from 1.5 to 30, preferably 3 to 15, weightpercent of a mixture of a sodium perborate, preferably sodium perboratetetrahydrate, and a water-soluble peroxymonosulfate, preferably thetriple salt of potassium peroxymonosulfate with potassium bisulfate andpotassium sulfate 0f the formula 2KHSO -KHSO -K SO in which mixture theweight ratio of peroxymonosulfate active oxygen to perborate activeoxygen is 1:8 to 1: 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Except for the mixture ofsodium perborate and peroxymonosulfate used therein, the solid laundrydetergent compositions of the invention will be composed of thosematerials which are normally incorporated in detergent compositions ofthis general type. These will include as essentials an organic anionicor non-ionic detergent and a water-soluble alkaline builder.

Any of the anionic detergents commonly employed in formulating solidlaundry detergent compositions may be employed in formulating thecompositions of the invention. Included are the common water-solublesoaps such as the sodium and potassium salts of the higher fatty acids,e.g., acids derived from tallow, lard, coconut oil and other animal andvegetable oils, and various synthetically produced fatty acids.Preferably, however, the

anionic detergent will be a sodium, potassium, ammonium or analkylolammonium alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonate, alkyl sulfate, alkylmonoglyceride sulfate or sulfonate, alkylpolyethenoxy ether sulfate,acyl sarcosinate, alkylbenzene sulfonate or an alkyl phenol polyethenoxysulfonate, in which compounds any alkyl or acyl group will be a longchain group containing from to carbon atoms. Specific example? of suchcompounds are sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate and sodium lauryl sulfate;the sodium and potassium fatty acid monoglyceride sulfates;triethenolamine dodecylbenzene sulfonate; and the sodium and potassiumsalts of alkyl phenol polyethenoxy sulfonates.

Examples of non-ionic organic detergents which can be used informulating the detergent compositions of the invention, alone or inadmixture with anionic detergents such as those indicated above, are thecondensates of ethylene oxide with alkyl phenols wherein the alkyl groupcontains 6 to 12 carbon atoms and in which condensates the ethyleneoxide is present in a molar ratio to the alkyl phenol in the range of10:1 to 45:1; the condensation products of ethylene oxide with theproduct resulting from the reaction of propylene oxide andethylene-diamine; the condensation products of ethylene oxide with along chain (8 to 18 carbon atoms) alcohol, e.g., lauryl alcohol; and theC -C alkyl dimethyl or diethyl amine oxides.

The water-soluble inorganic alkaline builder component of the detergentcomposition may be any of the alkaline builders commonly employed indetergent compositions of this general type. They include the alkalimetal carbonates, borates, phosphates and silicates, specific examplesof which are sodium carbonate, borax, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodiumtripolyphosphate, potassium tripolyphosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate,and sodium monoand diortho-phosphates. The phosphate builders,particularly sodium tripolyphosphate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate aregenerally preferred. The alkaline builder component should generally bepresent in proportions sufficient to yield wash solutions having analkalinity within the range pH 8.5 to 10 when the detergent compositionis employed in the usual amounts in home laundering operations, whichamounts generally will provide a concentration of the organic detergentin the wash solution of from around 0.02 to 0.5% by Weight.

The detergent compositions of the invention most generally also willcontain an inert filler such as sodium sulfate. The composition willalso generally and preferably contain an optical brightener and ananti-soil-redeposition agent such as carboxymethylcellulose. Still otheradjuvants may also be present such as suds builders, suds depressors,etc. Heavy metal ion sequesterants such as the alkali metal and ammoniumaminopolycarboxylates, e.g., the sodium, potassium andtriethanolammonium salts of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, N=(2hydroxyethyl)-ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, anddiethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid, can beneficially be included sincethey tend to stabilize the perborate and peroxymonosulfate componentsagainst decomposition due to the presence of heavy metal ion impurities.

The sodium perborate component of the composition of the invention maybe any of the known forms of sodium perborate, the most common of whichis represented by the formula NaBO -xH O in which x is 1, 3 or 4.However, other sodium perborates such as those disclosed in Young US.Pat. 2,491,789 may also be used. The most common of the sodiumperborates is sodium perborate tetrahydrate, NaBO -4H O, and its use isgenerally preferred because it is the cheapest of the sodium perboratesand gives excellent results.

The peroxymonosulfate component of the present compositions may be anyof the solid reasonably stable watersoluble solid peroxymonosulfates.Potassium peroxymonosulfate, particularly in its triple salt form,

zxnso xnso x so is generally preferred because it is the cheapest andmost stable of the peroxymonosulfates and gives excellent results. Theabove triple salt compound and its preparation are described in DAddiecoet al. U.S. Pat. 3,141,139.

The invention contemplates the use as the bleaching component in thedetergent composition a mixture of a sodium perborate and awater-soluble peroxymonosulfate in specific proportions. Taylor US. Pat.2,996,350 discloses the use of mixtures of a peroxymonosulfate and aperborate for applications where manganese ions, e.g., present asimpurities in the Water employed, are encountered. The purpose for theperborate in such mixtures is simply to overcome the discoloration whichmay be induced by such manganese ions. Only relatively small amounts orproportions of perborate are required and suggested for this purpose.For the purposes of the present invention, the proportions of theperborate in the sodium perborate peroxymonosulfate mixture are muchhigher than those suggested in the patent. Thus, in accordance with theinvention, the weight ratio of peroxymonosulfate active oxygenzperborateactive oxygen will range from 1:8

to 1:1, the preferred ratios being from 1:6 to 3:4. On a compound weightbasis using the preferred potassium peroxymonosulfate triple saltcompound and sodium perborate tetrahydrate, the above ratios correspondto 1:4 to 2:1, preferably 1:3 to 3:2.

Since the usual commercially available peroxymonosulfate products arehighly acidic, the use of proportions thereof greater than the maximumamount indicated by the above ratios would mean that a substantialportion of the peroxymonosulfate would undesirably react with the neededbuilder of the composition. Furthermore, such high proportions of theperoxymonosulfate are clearly undesirable from an economic standpoint,since, in accordance with the invention, essentially the same or betterresults can be achieved by employing less costly mixtures containing thetwo peroxygen compounds in the proportions within the range set forthabove. On the other hand, the employment of the peroxymonosulfate in themixture of peroxygen compounds in proportions less than set forth abovewould substantially reduce the bleaching effectiveness of the mixture.When using the two types of peroxygen compounds in the proportionsspecified, enhanced bleaching will result over the full range oftemperatures that are usable in home laundry operations, e.g., from roomtemperature to F., the mixture will not react With or neutralize anysignificant amount of the needed alkaline builder, and the bleachingeffectiveness of the perborate will be significantly enhanced withoutany increase in cost while the bleaching by the peroxymonosulfate Willbe either enhanced or at least not diminished.

The invention is illustrated by the following examples in which allamounts expresed as percentages or parts are by weight and allpercentages of Bleach Additives are based upon the total weight of thedetergent composition, excluding such additives. All bleaching datareported in the examples were obtained employing standard launderometertrials using ten minute runs and 335 ml. of wash liquor. Fabric sampleswere 7 x 14" swatches of 78 x 78 cotton print cloth (4 yds./ lb.) whichhad been scoured with a 4% solution of caustic soda at F. for 3 hoursthen laundered once with a solution of the detergent formulation shownin Example 1 without Bleach Additivies. The base whitenesses of thefabrics Were in the 64 to 74% blue reflectance range. All whitenesseswere measured using a Hunter Reflectometer With a blue filter for whichmagnesium oxide gave a blue reflectance of 100%. Unless indicatedotherwise, the sodium perborate employed was a commercial sodiumperborate tetrahydrate containing about 10% active oxygen and theperoxymonosulfate employed was the commercial triple salt 2KHSO -KHSO -KSO product containing about 4.7% active oxygen. For conveniencepurposes, the peroxymonosulfate and the sodium perborate were added tothe launderometer cans as aliquots of aqueous solutions,

oxygen.

EXAMPLE 1 The launderometer tests of this example were carried throughwashes at 140 F. using a stock detergent solution containing thefollowing materials at the concentrations indicated below.

Concentration,

Component: grams/liter Linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (Na salt) 2.2Sodium triployphosphate 5.5 Carboxymethylcellulose 0.1 Sodium sulfate1.7

Sodium silicate (42 B.) 0.

Sufficient amount of the stock solution was added to each Wash solutionto provide in the latter a concentration of the detergent composition of0.18%. The launderometer test results as follows:

Percent increase over bleaching (l ain in Total whiteness The above datashow that the use of the PMS product and the sodium perboratetetrahydrate in a weight ratio of 1:2 improves the bleaching response ascompared to the response obtained using either of the two bleachingagents alone at an equal cost level. Without the activating effect ofthe two compounds upon each other, it would have been expected that thegain in bleaching response for the mixture would have been half-waybetween 1.5 and 2.0, i.e., only a 17% increase over the bleachingresponse obtained when the perborate was used alone, instead of the 40%found.

EXAMPLE 2 These launderometer washing tests were carried out under thesame conditions described in Example 1 except that sodium silicate wasomitted from the detergent composition employed and only 8 launderometerwashes were used. The results were:

Percent increase over bleaching response from perborate alone Gain inTotal whiteness gain in due to whiteness bleaching EXAMPLE 3 In thisexample, the detergent composition employed provided a linear long chainakylbenzene sulfonate Bleach additive 3.5% Perborateplus 1.8% PMS(sodium salt) and sodium tripolyphosphate at concentrations,respectively, of 0.23 gram and 0.57 gram/liter of the wash solution,together with the amounts of sodium perborate tetrahydrate and the PMSproduct indicated in the following tabulation. Eight washes wereemployed at 140 F. The results were:

Gain in Percent increase Total whiteness over bleaching gain in due toresponse from Bleach additive whiteness bleaching perborate alone None3.0 30% Perborate. 6.7 3. 7 157 PMS 6.7 3. 7 0 22% Perborate H plus 6. 83. 8 2. 7 3.7% PMS 15% Perborate b plus 7 5 4. 5 22 7.5% PMS 9,7,..7 V7.4% Perborate plus 11.1% PMS a Wt. ratio of PMS productzperboratetetrahydrate 1:6.

b Wt. ratio of PMS productperborate tetrahydrate: 2.

e Wt. ratio of PMS productzperborate tetrahydrate=3z2.

Without mutual activation, a gain in whitness due to bleaching of 3.7,i.e., 0% increase over the bleaching response from perborate alone,would have been expected.

Note that of the three ratios compared, the 1:2 PMS/perboratetetrahydrate ratio was optimum, 3:2 was inferior but still effective and1:6 was virtually without effect.

EXAMPLE 4 In this example, the basic detergent composition employed wasa commercial solid home laundry detergent composition whose detergentcomponent was about 20% dodecylbenzene sulfonate (sodium salt) and whosealkaline builder was primarily molecularly dehydrated sodium phosphates.The composition also included sodium sulfate filler, sodium silicate, asmall amount of carboxymethylcellulose which served as ananti-soil-redeposition agent, a small amount of the usual opticalbrightener and about 8% water. In the launderometer tests, thecommercial composition was employed in the wash water at a concentrationof 0.24% to which was added the amounts of the stock solutions of sodiumperborate and potassium peroxymonosulfate triple salt in amountsrequired to provide the amounts thereof reported below.

A series of ten launderometer washes were carried out at temperatures ofF., F., F. and F. The results were:

(lain in Total whiteness gain in due to Bleach additive whitenessbleaching .1 .3 .3 p s i 7. 5 2. 4 100 2.5% PMS At 120 F.

None 4. 1 10% Perboi ate. 6. 4 2. 3 5% MS 7. ti 3. 5 52 5% Pei-borateplus 7. 5 3. 4 48 2.5% PMS At 140 F.

None 10% Perhorat 5 7 PMS Note that over the temperature range 100-160E, the gain in whiteness due to bleaching from a 1:2 mixture ofPMS/sodium perborate tetrahydrate was substantially the same as orgreater than the gain in whiteness due to bleaching from PMS alone, andwas substantially greater than the gain in whiteness due to bleachingfrom perborate alone. At these temperatures, the whiteness gain to havebeen expected without mutual activation would have been half-way betweenthose obtained with each of the peroxygen compounds alone, i.e., about42% at 100 F., 26% at 120 F., 14% at 140 F. and 14% at 160 F.

In launderometer trials at 70 to 75 F., the mixture exhibited no mutualactivation, but the mixture or PMS alone gave higher gains in whitenessthan did perborate alone. Thus, mixtures as described should have betterutility over a wide range of laundry washing temperatures than theperborate additive alone.

EXAMPLE The detergent composition employed in the launderometer washtests for this example was the same as that employed in Example 4. Thetwo bleach additives were used at relatively low levels in the tenlaunderometer washes employed at 130 F. The results were:

Gain in Percent increase Total whiteness overbleaelnug gain in due toresponse from Bleach additive whiteness bleaching perborate alone None4. 8

6. 4 1. 6 14 1.25% Perborate us 6. 8 2. 0 43 0.625% PMS The aboveresults show, at the relatively low level of bleaching additiveemployed, the same activating effects of the two agents when employedtogether that was shown in the preceding examples.

EXAMPLE 6 The launderometer wash tests of this example were carried outusing swatches of the same fabric used in the preceding examples exceptthat they had been stained with a tea-coffee mixture so as to have basewhitenesses in the range 58 to 62%. Five launderometer washes wereemployed at both 130 F. and 115 F., using the detergent composition ofExample 4. The results were as follows:

Gain in Percent increase Total whiteness ovcrbleaohmg The above resultsshow that a 1:1 mixture of PMS/ sodium perborate tetrahydrate (1:2 ratioof active oxygen) gave a greater than expected increase in the bleachingresponse at both of the above temperatures. Note that the cost of theadditive mixture was only about threequarters of the cost of either thePMS or the perborate alone. If there had been no activation, one wouldhave expected less than a 10% increase in bleaching response overperborate alone at 115 F., and an actual decrease at 130 F.,respectively, instead of the and 28% values found.

EXAMPLE 7 The following components were dry blended to give a detergentcomposition containing 2.5% of the PMS product and 2.5% sodium perboratetetrahydrate.

Component: Parts Sodium alkylbenzene sulfonate 22 Sodiumtripolyphosphate Sodium metasilicate 5 Carboxymethylcellulose 1 Sodiumsulfate 12 Sodium perborate tetrahydrate 2.5 PMS product 2.5

A sample of the above composition sealed in a glass jar was found to befree-flowing after 4 days at F., after which time it had lost only 4.3%of its original active oxygen content.

EXAMPLE 8 A detergent composition generally similar to that employed inExample 4 was prepared containing 5% by weight of a 1:1 mixture of thePMS compound and sodium perborate monohydrate; and, a similarcomposition was prepared except that it contained 5% of a 1:1 mixture ofthe PMS product and sodium perborate tetrahydrate.

Samples of both of the above compositions lost less than 2% of theiractive oxygen after standing in sealed jars for 4 weeks at 90 F., afterwhich time both compositions remained free-flowing.

EXAMPLE 9 The PMS product employed in the above examples, i.e., thetriple salt 2KHSO -KHSO -K SO product containing about 4.7% activeoxygen, is strongly acidic since a 0.1% solution thereof in water has apH of 3.1. When a 0.1% solution of the PMS product was titrated with a1% solution of sodium tripolyphosphate builder, it was found that 1.0 g.of PMS compound neutralized 1.2 g. of the phosphate builder based on thequantity of titrant needed to reach pH 8.5. Based on pH 8.9, 1.0 g. ofPMS compound would neutralize 3.3 g. of the phosphate builder. Normalhome laundry detergent products operate at pH 8.5 to 10. If, however,two grams of sodium perborate tetrahydrate is dissolved in one liter ofwater containing 1 gram of the PMS product, the pH of the solution israised from 3.1 to 9.7. This shows that the use of mixtures of the PMSproduct and sodium perborate in a preferred ratio in detergentcompositions containing sodium tripolyphosphate alkaline builder willnot result in a significant neutralization of the builder when the soliddetergent composition is dissolved in water.

EXAMPLE 10 The following components were dry blended to give afree-flowing detergent composition for launderometer tests.

Component: Parts Sodium alkylbenzene sulfonate 44 Sodiumtripolyphosphate (90% active) 55 Tetrasodium pyrophosphate decahydrate40 Carboxymethylcellulose 1.9 Sodium metasilicate 10 Sodium sulfate 40The wash solutions for the launderometer tests contained 0.24% of theabove composition and aliquots of the stock solutions of the PMS productand/or sodium perborate tetrahydrate were added to 335 ml. of the washsolution to give the percentages of bleach additives listed. Ten

launderometer tests were employed at 130 F., and the results were asfollows:

Percent increase over bleachin Gain in Total whiteness Again, note thesuperiority of the 1:2 and 1:1 mixtures, (a) and (b), of PMS/sodiumperborate tetraborate over either PMS or perborate alone. If there wereno mutual activation, one would have expected only a 15% increase forthe 1:2 mixture and actually a decrease, i.e., a lower gain in whitenessthan the 3.4 for perborate alone, for the 1:1 mixture. The 1:1 mixtureis only about threefourths as costly as the PMS alone.

EXAMPLE 11 As in Example 10, the following materials were dryblended.

Component: Parts A condensate of monylphenol with 40 moles of ethyleneoxide 10 Sodium tripolyphosphate l2 Tetrasodium pyrophosphatedecahydrate 10 Sodium metasilicate 2.5 Carboxymethylecellulose 0.4Sodium sulfate 9.0

Following the procedure in Example 10, the results shown below wereobtained:

Gain in Percent increase Total whiteness over bleaching gain in due toresponse from Bleach additive whiteness bleaching perborate alone None4. 3 10% Perbrate 8. 2 3. 9 5% PMS 8.5 4.2 7.7 5% Pei'borate Plus 8. 44. 1 5. 1 2.5% PMS 2.5% Perborate plus 8. 6 4. 3 10 2.5% PMS Though theactivation of the additives were not as striking using this non-ionicdetergent as compared with the anionic detergents, it is seen that thebleach additive mixtures do give some improvement over perborate aloneand they avoid the use of highly acidic bleach additive.

In the detergent compositions of the invention, the anionic or non-ionicorganic detergent component will generally constitute from 10 to 30%,preferably to of the total weight of the composition. The alkalinebuilder, which is preferably sodium tripolyphosphate or a mixturethereof with tetrasodiurn pyrophosphate, will generally constitute from25 to 75 preferably to 55%, of the composition weight, and will besufiicient to impart a pH of about 8.5% to 10 to the solution formedwhen the composition is employed at concentrations usual in homelaundering practices. The mixture of the peroxymonosulfate compound andsodium perborate will generally constitute from 1.5 to 30% of thecomposition weight, the preferred amounts being 3 to 15%. Inert fillerssuch as sodium sulfate, when used, will generally total about 10 to 30%of the composition weight, while the small amounts of adjuvants such asoptical brighteners, perfumes, etc., will generally total no more thanabout 3%. Some water will generally be present, but the water contentseldom will exceed about 15 and preferably will not exceed about 10%.

I claim:

1. A solid laundry detergent composition consisting essentially of 10 to30% by weight of a water-soluble anionic or non-ionic organic detergent,25 to by weight of a water-soluble inorganic alkaline builder and 1.5 to30% by weight of a mixture of a water-soluble peroxymonosulfate and asodium perborate in the weight ratio of peroxymonosulfate active oxygen:perborate active oxygen of from 1:8 to 1:1.

2. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the detergent is ananionic detergent, the alkaline builder consisting esesntially of sodiumtripolyphosphate and the peroxymonosulfate consisting essentially of atriple salt compound of the formula 2KHSO -KHSO -K SO 3. A compositionaccording to claim 1 wherein the detergent consists essentially of analkylbenzene sulfonate having a 1020 carbon alkyl group, the builderconsists essentially of sodium tripolyphosphate, the peroxymonosulfateconsists essentially of a triple salt compound of the formula 2KHSO-KHSO -K SO and the perborate is sodium perborate tetrahydrate.

4. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the detergent comprises analkylbenzene sulfonate having a 10-20 carbon alkyl group, the buildercomprises sodium tripolyphosphate, the peroxymonosulfate comprises atriple salt of the formula 2KHSO -KHSO -K SO and the perborate is sodiumperborate monohydrate.

5. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the weight ratio ofperoxymonosulfate active oxygenzperborate active oxygen is from 1:6 to3:4.

6. A composition according to claim 2 wherein the weight ratio ofperoxymonosulfate active oxygenzperborate active oxygen is from 1:6 to3:4.

7. A composition according to claim 3 wherein the weight ratio ofperoxymonosulfate active oxygenzperborate active oxygen is from 1:6 to3:4.

8. A composition according to claim 4 wherein the weight ratio ofperoxymonosulfate active oxygen:perborate active oxygen is from 1:6 to3:4.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,975,139 3/1961 Kauffmann et al25299 2,996,350 8/1961 Taylor 8-111 3,130,165 4/ 1964 Brocklehurst et a125299 3,325,422 6/1967 Marquis 25299X 3,337,466 8/1967 Puetzer et al25299 FOREIGN PATENTS 871,814 7/1961 Great Britain 25299 OTHERREFERENCES Oxone, Monopersulfate Compound, E. I. du Pont de Nemours &Co., Inc., 1961, p. 8.

LEON D. ROSDOL, Primary Examiner A. RADY, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl.X.R.

